BEIRUT, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib on Wednesday warned against "Israel's intention" to escalate war with Lebanon, adding that any miscalculations would drag the entire region into abyss, the National News Agency reported.
During a meeting at the UN Security Council in New York, Bou Habib said that if a bigger war occurs, it would shake the entire Middle East and lead to a new displacement crisis in Europe, not only from Lebanon and Israel but also from neighboring countries fleeing missiles, drones, and warplanes.
He called for Israel's cessation of land, sea, and air violations of Lebanon's sovereignty, which have "exceeded 35,000 violations since 2006 to date."
Bou Habib also called for halting cyberattacks that threaten Lebanon's security and safety of networks, devices, applications, and electronic data in vital Lebanese facilities, especially the Beirut airport, which threatens public safety.
Furthermore, the minister asked for adherence to the UN peacekeeping forces operating in southern Lebanon, which have contributed since their establishment to maintaining calm and stability in the region.
Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. ■
